Stress in individuals with hearing impairments: causes and psychological assistance (based on materials from foreign psychology)

Context and relevance. The study of stress and coping skills in individuals with disabilities, in particular, with hearing impairments, is underrepresented in Russian special psychology, so we turned to the analysis of studies by foreign psychologists. To determine the directions of psychological assistance, it is necessary to identify the causes of stress reactions in individuals with hearing impairments at different stages of mental development. Objective. To characterize the causes of stress in individuals with hearing impairments and the features of providing them with psychological assistance. Results. The analysis allowed us to identify several groups of causes leading to stress in children and adults with hearing impairments. The first group of causes is associated with relationships in a family raising children with hearing impairments. Parents with intact hearing are characterized by stress when accepting a diagnosis, realizing the psychological characteristics of a child with impaired hearing, problems using communication tools (type of speech — verbal or sign). The second group of reasons is determined by the peculiarities of information processing, which are typical for people with hearing impairments at all stages of mental development: a person with hearing impairment relies on visual perception when processing any information, hence load on the visual analyzer, the need for constant tension when decoding information. The third group of reasons is associated with educational conditions. Thus, depression is less typical for children attending inclusive schools compared to children attending special schools. Psychological assistance programs should consider the characteristics of people with hearing impairments, create conditions for the formation of adequate coping strategies associated with the level of stress. Conclusions. The life of people with hearing impairments is associated with constant overcoming of barriers invisible to the hearing majority. These daily efforts become a powerful source of chronic stress. Ignoring the characteristics of people with hearing impairments by psychologists can lead to stress, emotional discomfort, anxiety and disappointment. Therefore, it is necessary to implement an integrated approach to creating conditions for the prevention of stress in people with hearing impairments.

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